Understanding
by DXRULES103
Summary: Dan Evans realized that he didn’t hate Ben Wade. In fact, he doubted if he hated Wade from the beginning.


**Disclaimers**: I do not own Ben Wade or Dan Evans.

**A/N**: I hope you all enjoy this. I just watched the movie again and watched a YouTube video called "Planets" that just totally gave me plot bunnies. I hope you all enjoy and reviews are appreciated!

_Ben Wade. _

Dan Evans realized that he didn't hate Ben Wade. In fact, he doubted if he hated Wade from the beginning.

No, instead he felt an underlying fear and misunderstanding of Wade.

He'd met a lot of people in his life. He hasn't traveled that much, but he did encounter enough. It was enough that he knew he never met a kind of man like Ben Wade.

Their first meeting was simple enough.

He watched along with his son as Wade and his gang robbed and killed that coach.

They heard his son. Once they arrived, Ben took his guns, and his horses.

_But he left them. _

What he knew was Ben Wade was infamous; an outlaw with money on his head that could practically last a lifetime for him.

And then they met again.

Wade paid for a days work. He paid for his sons. He paid for a lot of things.

_Then we looked each other in the eyes._

Dan saw something in those eyes. He was sure that Wade saw something in his eyes as well.

But he wasn't sure what he saw.

And then they shackled him. Wade gave him a look. It was an almost amused and had a slightly betrayed look in the stare Ben gave him.

At that moment, he thought Wade deserved it, but for some reason it just didn't feel right.

He volunteered to help the rest take Wade to the train to Yuma. This gives him another look from Wade.

And again, he didn't know what to make of it.

Wade's eyes were predatory; deadly and cunning. Dan didn't like it when Wade looked at him like that, but he also knew that Ben looked at everyone like that. Because that's what Wade was, he was a different sort of an outlaw.

But Dan didn't know what he was.

They stopped at his home.

Wade had dinner with his family.

It was unnatural feeling – having supper with a killer.

He could see that his eldest son Will sees something in Wade. He sees someone better in Wade.

Or so he thinks he sees.

Alice tells him to cut Wade's meat. He does. And once again like the other times before, Wade looks at him.

Not only does he look, but he talks. Wade had been talking for some time at the table.

_He knows the Bible._

He then left and when he returned. There Ben was – staring at his wife with those predatory eyes. And Alice was looking back.

It was at that moment he thought he hated Wade. He thought he hated Wade for making Alice look at him so – unlike the way she looked at her husband.

Later, Wade starts talking – perhaps mocking or criticizing him about the way he treated his own wife; that he would treat Alice better.

Anger washed over him; overtaking him as well with a tiny bit of jealously. He moved without thinking and went over Wade and placed his gun on Wade's chest.

It was his turn to give Wade a look.

_"I like this side of you, Dan."_

Wade saw something in his eyes. And Dan knew what he saw. Or so he thinks. He thinks that Wade saw a murderous quality in his eyes. But he wasn't Wade, he would know. He knew himself.

Or so he thought.

And when Wade was getting shot gun hit by Byron after killing the man who continually mocked him, and burned down his own stable, Dan saw something there in Wade's demeanor and eyes.

He saw that Wade felt the pain of being hit, but that he didn't care. He saw in Wade's eyes a certain hint of a challenge and pure – almost spiritual satisfaction.

He also saw no fear. Yes, there was no fear, but dislike against Byron. No, there wasn't any fear. Just acceptance.

"They're gonna hang me in the morning…" he sung.

It was then that he realized that Wade wasn't afraid of death.

Wade told stories about how just as horrible Byron was. That Bryon killed Apache children and women who were evidently guilty of being Apache and were unarmed.

_And then Byron mentions Wade's mother._  
That ignited something – something terrible. Wade moved so quickly. To Dan's surprise and utter horror, Wade threw Byron off the edge to his death.

"Even bad men love their mommas," Wade had said.

_And that's what struck me._

It was at that moment that Dan didn't know Wade. He didn't understand Wade, and that was his misfortune. Besides the fact that he disliked Wade for being a killer, he knew he should have realized that Wade was a human.

But not a normal one.

_He looked at my boy._

He didn't appreciate the look Wade gave his son.

And later he indicated that Will could be like him. No, he didn't like it.

_He saved our lives._

But then again, Dan couldn't help but think that Wade only did it to save his own.

He realized that Wade was right about the Apache.

Wade said he needed to take a piss so Dan went with him. Wade started talking about how if one did a favor for someone then a little pattern would develop.

At the time, Dan had no idea what Wade was getting at.

And then, Wade pulled him down; telling him to be quite. They worked together back to the others. Wade then took a gun and ran off despite him yelling at him.

_He returned._

He told him to give him the key, but Dan refused. He just threw the keys aside.

He couldn't just let Wade get away. Not after how far all of them came.

So, Wade kicked him in the face and knocked him out.

_I found him. He was tied up and being tortured._

A sense of horror, acceptance, and a twinge of sympathy and regret came over him when he saw Wade being tortured.

Horror at the torture. Acceptance that maybe Wade deserved it. Sympathy because Wade was a human. Regret because this is where he ended up – bringing an outlaw to a train and bringing himself away from his family.

He looked at Wade.

He knew he needed the money. And the only way to get it was to put Wade on the train to Yuma.

So he glanced at the doctor. The doctor looked at Butterfield. They both looked at him. He looked at Wade. Wade looked at him.

For the fist time, there was an understanding.

They all worked together.

And for some reason, he and Wade wound up riding side by side.

"Dan!" he had cried.

Wade looked at him. He looked back.

Understanding.

Wade threw the dynamite and Dan shot it.

_We're there at Contention._

The only room was the bridal suite.

Wade took the bed while he sat next to the window.

Wade makes an offer, but Dan doesn't accept it.

Why? He just couldn't. He didn't come all the way just to give up.

Butterfield had left. Wade was drawing. Of what, Dan didn't know.

_Then he said something that changed everything._

"You ever read the bible, Dan? I read it one time. I was eight years old. My daddy just got himself killed over a shot of whiskey and my mama said "we're going back East to start over". So she gave me a bible, sat me down in the train station, told me to read it. She was gonna get our tickets. Well, I did what she said. I read that bible from cover to cover. It took me three days. She never came back."

Yes, Wade was human. And Dan couldn't blame Wade anymore. No matter how he felt about murder, he couldn't and wouldn't blame Wade.

They went on their way. Together. Dan was alone with Wade.

Prince and everybody else were shooting at them.

Then it all stopped.

_Wade stopped me. He choked me. _

Dan wanted to live. He wanted to prove himself. And in that moment, when Wade was choking him. He knew he didn't want to prove himself to just his family, but to himself – and now Wade.

_So I told him. I told him that I lied to my boys. I told him the truth._

"I ain't never been no hero, Wade. The only battle I seen, we was in retreat. My foot got shot off by one of my own men. You try telling that story to your boy. See how he…he looks at you then."

And Wade looked him in the eyes.

Dan looked back.

_And then he did something that changed more things._

Wade pulled back and said, "Alright, Dan."

They looked into each other eyes again. They held each other's eyes. They saw a lot of things in each others eyes.

And finally – there was understanding.

_Now here we are…almost there…_

"I ain't stubborn," he found himself saying.

Ben looks at him curiously.

"What?" he asked; not sure if he heard correctly.

"Earlier, you called me stubborn," he started as he now comfortably stared into Wade's no longer wholly mysterious eyes. "for keeping my wife and sons on a dying ranch. When Mark was two, he got tuberculosis. Doctor said we should get him to a dryer climate."

Ben's eyes showed slight appreciation while when he spoke there was a kind of confusion in.

"Why are you tellin' me this?" he asked.

_Why?_

"I don't know. I guess I just wanted you to know... I ain't stubborn," he answered.

They look at each other for a few seconds. Then upon his face Dan started to smile and so did Ben.

And then they joined together in a friendly laugh.

"Well since we're making confessions…" Ben suddenly said. He gave Dan an odd mischievous look. "I've been to Yuma before."

Dan was surprised, but for some reason he didn't mind being surprised.

"Escaped twice too." Ben added with a slight grin.

Once again, their eyes locked. Something passed between them during that stare down.

Understanding.

That was what passed between them.

It was true. They had finally come to understand one another.

And for Dan, understanding Ben and Ben understanding him was gratifying in a strange sort of way.

They've come to respect one another.

_Does this make us friends?_

He didn't know. Maybe halfway through there was a sort of kinship.

But it was enough for Dan.

It was enough to just have one thing with Ben Wade.

Understanding.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

**The End**

**End-note**: I hope you all enjoyed this as I enjoyed writing it. Well, reviews are appreciated!


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